Introduction

Abstract

In December 2015, in Paris, 195 countries agreed to tackle climate change. The agreement went beyond mere words as signatories agreed to a common goal of holding temperatures to ’well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels‘. Countries agreed to scientifically credible reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with a peak ’as soon as possible‘ and then rapid reduction, monitored by five-year reviews and supported by substantial funding (US$100 billion per year until 2050 and more after that) to help developing countries to achieve their economic development goals while pursuing climate change goals. In sum, the Paris agreement provides a roadmap away from the world‘s perilous addiction to fossil-fuel energy. This book analyses the implications of the global shift to cleaner energy for a country whose economy has centred on hydrocarbon exports. Kazakhstan is rich in natural resources including coal, oil, natural gas and uranium, and has significant renewable potential from wind, solar, hydro and biomass. In spite of this, the country is currently dependent upon fossil fuels for power generation. Coalfired plants account for 75 per cent of total power generation, leading to concerns over GHG emissions and impacts on human health and the environment. Oil, gas and coal are the country‘s main exports. The challenge is urgent for Kazakhstan, whose Soviet legacy was an energyintensive economy with ageing energy facilities and whose recent economic growth has boosted demand for energy services, making the construction of additional generating capacity increasingly necessary for enabling sustained growth. In this context, renewable energy resources are becoming an increasingly attractive option to help bridge the demand-supply gap. Despite significant wind, solar, hydro and biomass potential, these resources have not been sustainably captured and deployed due to a range of technical, institutional, social and economic barriers. The book provides a comprehensive review of the historical and institutional background and of the current energy situation in Kazakhstan with respect to both fossil energy and renewable resources. It analyses policy drivers for the energy sector, and the technical, social, political and economic contexts in which future developments will occur.